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There is a chance, particularly if you're not an avid user of Instagram or SnapChat, that you are among the uninitiated when it comes to Cardi B. Allow us to rectify the situation, and fill you in on a one-of-a-kind fashion personality that, honestly, everyone under the age of 30 is talking about.

The Bronx-born rapper recently hit the headlines when her debut album, Invasion Of Privacy, broke records after reaching number one across America in just 24 hours following its much-anticipated release. Cardi B's real name is Belcalis Almanzar - her stage name came to be because her sister is named Hennessy. Friends nicknamed Belcalis 'Bacardi' and, for work purposes, it translated to become Cardi B.

Following a stint as a stripper and a career as a social media personality, Cardi was granted one of the coveted slots on popular American reality TV show, Love And Hip Hop. She showcased her musical talents during her two seasons on the show and her follower count grew simultaneously - her Instagram now boasts a staggering 22 million fans. She left the show last year, officially launching her music career and signing with Atlantic Records, which also has Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora and Bruno Mars on its books.

While she’s no doubt been breaking music records, Cardi has simultaneously been breaking down fashion barriers - from sitting front row at New York Fashion Week with US Vogue’s Anna Wintour, to launching a fashion collaboration with Instagram favourite, Fashionnova. While her goofy humour, straight-talking approach and determined personality have already won us over, here’s why the 25 year old should also be on your fashion radar…

She has friends in high (fashion) places

Just two weeks after Cardi’s first single, Bodak Yellow, was released, the artist hit New York Fashion Week and was taken in by some of fashion’s most notoriously hard to penetrate circles. She sat front row at Alexander Wang's show, next to Anna Wintour and went on to grace the front rows at Christian Siriano, Prabal Gurung and Jeremy Scott. Not content with just watching shows, Cardi has also walked the runway herself, modeling in a Gypsy Sport show, and also partnered with MAC Cosmetics for a fashion week event last February.

After much media speculation, Cardi announced her pregnancy during a performance on Saturday Night Live earlier this month, wearing a bodycon white maxi dress with mesh panelling that hugged her baby bump. Fellow musician Rihanna took to Instagram to post her congratulations.

Her declaration mimicked that of Beyoncè, who famously announced her first pregnancy on stage following a live performance at the MTV Awards in 2011.

Cardi’s baby news came hot on the heels of a marriage proposal from her rapper beau, Offset, who is one third of hip-hop trio, Migos, at the end of last year, which took place during, you guessed it, a live on-stage performance in Philadelphia.

She’s a style wild card

While few would be able to replicate her outfits in a ‘get the Cardi look’ feature, her unpredictable fashion choices do make for entertaining viewing and fun talking points. The chain-printed mini dress with clashing thigh-high boots that she wore to her album release party, and the voluminous Cinderella-esque ballgown she wore to Rihanna's annual Diamond Ball (a bespoke number by fashion pal and American designer, Christian Siriano) were at opposite ends of any style spectrum, and she is known for regularly changing her hairstyles, sporting a blunt dark bob one day, and tumbling blonde waves the next. For her 35-minute Coachella set last weekend, she kitted out her growing baby bump in an all-white look complete with pigtails, paying homage to 90s girlband, TLC.

She already has a fashion collaboration under her belt

Cardi B at her album listening party earlier this month.Credit:
Getty Images

It was announced last week that the rapper was collaborating with Fashionnova, a popular American brand famous for its bodycon styles sported by the likes of Kylie Jenner and rapper, Blac Chyna.

While she sings about wearing 'bloody shoes' (a reference to Christian Louboutin's signature red soles) and is an avid wearer of high fashion labels such as Vetements, Gucci and Balenciaga, the artist regularly pairs her designer pieces with high street buys, and has previously described her high-low fashion mix as how 'people like me stay rich.' At a listening party for her new album, the star paired her Fashionnova shorts, which would cost around £25, with a shearling-trimmed Altuzarra jacket which would set you back around £2,000.

While you'll have to wait until October for the Cardi B x Fashionnova collection, you can guarantee the rapper will be sporting the brand in the meantime.

She’s a successful businesswoman, doing power dressing her own way

It's taken the 25 year-old less than two years to transform from stripper, to reality TV star, to record-breaking solo artist and fashion designer. It's all been achieved through enough self-promotion to rival a Kardashian. The rapper has stated that she's now a millionaire, has various fashion and beauty contracts in the works, and her music boasts the largest number of streams for an album by a woman.

Her 'work wardrobe' might be a little different to the average, but there's no denying it; hers is a unique, but effective form of power dressing.